HottyToddy Hometown: Pearl, Mississippi

Pearl is Rankin County’s largest city. Its 2000 census population was 21,961. With continued growth and the 2005 annexation of a 2.2 square mile area, Pearl’s population is now estimated at 24,304.

Content aggregated from http://www.cityofpearl.com/

The city was incorporated in 1973 to include approximately 11 square miles of area. It has expanded over the years to now include 23.8 square miles.

The first meeting to incorporate Pearl was held on September 16, 1968. The meeting attracted 657 residents with 651 voting in favor of incorporation.

On October 28, 1968 the “Boundary Committee” presented 3 suggested boundaries.

A majority voted on January 6, 1969 to approve the boundaries which consisted of the area from the Pearl River to the Airport Road, excluding East Jackson, with only Cunningham Heights and Grandview Heights being including South of Interstate 20.

At that same meeting, two other big questions were settled. One, the majority in attendance selected Pearl Incorporated the name Pearl for the new City. Other names submitted and considered were “Riverview” and “Brightsville.”

After a report from the nomination committee, Harris Harvey was selected to be Mayor of the new City. The alderman selected were: District 1 Jimmy Joe Thompson, District 2 W.D. McAlpin, District 3 James Netherland, District 4 Mrs. Ophelia Byrd, District 5 Mack Morgan, District 6 W. L. Maddox, and At-Large Bobby Joe Davis.

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in favor of Pearl’s incorporation on June 5, 1973. The charter was issued on June 12, 1973. City officials were sworn in on June 29, 1973 and held their first organizational meeting on July 3, 1973.

Since its incorporation Pearl has continued to grow and is the commercial center of Rankin County.

Pearl is an ideal location with easy access to other parts of the state and nation. Interstate 20 and Interstate 55 known as “The Crossroads of the South” intersect in western Rankin County near Pearl. Interstate 20 serves the City directly and provides an excellent transportation link to the east and the west coast. Interstate 55 provides an interstate route southward to New Orleans and northward to Memphis, St. Louis, and eventually Chicago. Highway 49 is also an important transportation route. It intersects interstate 20 in Pearl and provides a direct route to the Gulfport/Biloxi/Pascagoula MS.

The residents of Pearl are unified in their efforts to make this city the best it can be through a wide variety of religious, recreational and business opportunities.